Indiana Posts Eight New Relay World Records at Fall Frenzy

BLOOMINGTON, Indiana, September 26. THE world records are beginning to fall at the IU Fall Frenzy. As reported earlier today, Indiana is taking advantage of a unique window of opportunity to be the first swimmers to complete swims under newly-available FINA-recognized events.

The Hoosiers are gunning to be the first to set world records in the mixed gender versions of the 200 free relay and 200 medley relay, as well as single-gender versions of the 200 free relay and 200 medley relay at the short course meters distance. For long course meters, they will swim mixed gender 400 free and 400 medley relays.

The foursome of Lindsay Vrooman, Kait Flederbach, Steve Schmuhl and Jackson Miller set the first record with a 3:45.38 in the mixed 400-meter freestyle relay under long course conditions.

The quartet of Allie Day, Mike Hurley, Tanner Kurz and Haley Lips closed out the second world record with a 4:13.47 in the mixed 400-meter medley relay under long course conditions before moving on to the short course meter portion of the afternoon.

LCM racing is done. Time to measure the pool. pic.twitter.com/Al5fWuo9ds– IU Swim and Dive (@IUSwimAndDive) September 26, 2013

Bulkhead is in place for SCM. #IURelayRally pic.twitter.com/I3adVw8aVs– IU Swim and Dive (@IUSwimAndDive) September 26, 2013

The first short course meters record-setting swim was the 200 mixed medley relay. James Wells (backstroke), Cody Miller (breaststroke), Gia Dalesandro (butterfly) and Olivia Barker (freestyle) combined for a 1:49.87. While the time will be posted as the first FINA world record in the event, it’s far from the fastest time ever recorded in the race. At last December’s short course European championships, France posted a 1:38.74 with a foursome that included Jeremy Stravius, Florent Manaudou, Melanie Henique and Anna Santamans.

Next up was a world record swim in the women’s 200 medley relay, and the team of Grace Padget, Heather Hayes, Bailey Pressey and Madelon Webb recorded a 2:04.34. Hinkelien Schreuder, Moniek Nijhuis, Inge Dekker and Ranomi Kromowidjojo teamed up for the Netherlands at the 2009 European championships and swam a 1:42.69, though it was done before FINA started recognizing world records in the event. A Danish team of Kristina Thomson, Rikke Moller Pedersen, Jeanette Ottesen Gray and Pernille Blume posted a 1:47.41 last December as the fastest swim in textile suits.

In an attempt to give multiple members of the Indiana team the opportunity to say they are world record holders, Ray Looze held back his top swimmers for the men’s 200 medley relay. The foursome of Curtis Goss, Blaine Nichols, Kyle Johnson and Tanner Kurz swam a 1:50.07 that will go into the record book. As far as fastest times in history, that still belongs to Russia’s Stanislav Donets, Sergey Geybel, Evgeny Korotyshkin and Sergey Fesikov, who posted a 1:31.80 at the 2009 short course European championships. France’s Jeremy Stravius, Giacomo Perez Dortona, Fred Bousquet and Florent Manaudou, put up a 1:32.35 last December for the fastest swim in textile suits.

The short course meter competition closed with three more new likely world records. Bailey Pressey, Stephanie Armstrong, Tanner Kurz and Cody Miller connected for a 1:41.16 to top the mixed 200-meter free relay. Stephanie Marchuk, Claudia Dicapua, Audrey Scott and Grace Padget then clocked a 1:54.97 in the women’s 200-meter free relay, before Cody Miller, James Wells, Matt Gerth and Philip Butler rounded out the day with a 1:36.81 in the men’s 200-meter free relay to close out the record-setting run today.

The sanctioned attempts, which have all the requirements in place including drug-testing and surveying, obviously have plenty of support from FINA Vice President Dale Neuburger. His son, Eric, is currently an Associate Athletics Director for Facilities & External Alliances at Indiana University and has served as a manager for the IU swimming and diving team in the past. These new records even require new forms that debuted this year for FINA to recognize them, and the Hoosiers have this documentation in place thanks to the Neuburgers.

How long these records will last is anyone’s guess, but these newly-minted world-record holders will always hold onto their official world-record certificates from FINA.